Crimson Tide NFL Rundown: Philadelphia Eagles

The Eagles have the most Alabama players of any team in the NFL. How can they help Philadelphia to return to the Super Bowl, and win?

Author:
Wyatt Fulton
Publish date:
Aug 20, 2023 12:19 PM EDT

In this story:

Alabama Crimson Tide

The Philadelphia Eagles shocked the football world during the 2022 NFL Draft by trading for Tennessee Titans wide receiver AJ Brown and signing him to a contract extension. A year later, and they look like geniuses. Brown had the best year of his career with 1,496 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns as the Eagles' top option.

The guy throwing to AJ Brown was an MVP candidate in 2022 in former Alabama (and Oklahoma) quarterback Jalen Hurts. He had a breakout season, throwing for 3,701 yards and 22 touchdowns while rushing for 760 yards and 13 touchdowns. His 2022 performance was good enough to finish second in MVP voting.

The Eagles also made it to the Super Bowl after an impressive playoff run that saw them win 31-7 over the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Championship Game. They lost to the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LVII, 38-35, but Hurts had the performance of a lifetime, throwing for 304 yards and a touchdown, while running for 70 yards and three touchdowns.

Philadelphia's offense will continue to run through Hurts' ability to stretch the field in the run game, and his ability to distribute the ball between AJ Brown, DeVonta Smith, and Dallas Goedert.

Smith also saw a breakout campaign with his former college quarterback in 2022, with 1,196 receiving yards and seven touchdowns, topping the team in receptions. He also led Philadelphia in receiving yards in the Super Bowl with seven catches for 100 yards. If defenses somehow find a way to stop Brown and Smith, then Hurts can always utilize his safety blanket: tight end Dallas Goedert. In 2022, Geodert had 702 receiving yards and three touchdowns. If all else fails, Hurts can take off and gain plenty of yardage using his legs.

Defensively, Philadelphia is also pretty stout. Their defensive line features a host of talented pass rushers, starting with long-time Eagle Brandon Graham, who also had a career year in 2022 with 11 sacks, 35 total tackles, and two forced fumbles. In addition to Graham, the Eagles also have Fletcher Cox, Jordan Davis, Josh Sweat, and used their 2023 first-round pick on talented Georgia defensive tackle Jalen Carter, who is already turning heads during the preseason.

In the linebacking core, Haason Reddick is training up a new set, including Georgia products Nakobe Dean and Nolan Smith, who both have played well when given opportunities. In the secondary, Darius Slay is teaching a couple of Alabama defensive backs: Josh Jobe and Eli Ricks, who both have performed well in exhibition games. During the Eagles second preseason game, Jobe got the start and was not targeted before leaving the game. Ricks had a pick-six during his first preseason game and looked solid again this weekend.

Overall, the Eagles roster has a league-leading six Alabama players: Hurts, Smith, Jobe, Ricks and offensive linemen Landon Dickerson and Tyler Steen.

Although Hurts played his final season at Oklahoma, he totaled 5,626 passing yards, 48 passing touchdowns, 1,976 rushing yards, and 23 rushing touchdowns. He was a second-round selection in the 2020 NFL Draft, a pick that some heavily criticized at the time.

Smith was a part of the "Ryde Outs" at Alabama, ad group that included four first-round picks at wide receiver: Jerry Jeudy, Henry Ruggs III, Smith, and Jaylen Waddle. Juedy set a high bar by winning the Biletnikoff Award, but then Smith notched 1,856 receiving yards and 23 receiving touchdowns. His 2020 performance earned a Heisman Trophy win, the third Crimson Tide player to win the coveted award. During his full career at Alabama, Smith totaled 3,965 yards and 46 touchdowns. He was a first-round pick by the Eagles in the 2021 NFL Draft.

Landon Dickerson may not have started his career at Alabama, but he quickly became a fan favorite. He started at center for the 2019 and 2020 Alabama teams, winning a national championship during his final year. But Dickerson tore his ACL in the 2020 SEC Championship Game against Florida, but managed to snap the ball on the final kneel-down plays of the national championship win. He was a second-round selection for the Eagles in the 2021 NFL draft and has been a consistent starter at left guard.

Tyler Steen was another offensive lineman who didn't start his career at Alabama, but eventually found his way into the Crimson Tide's starting lineup. Steen was an established starter at Vanderbilt before transferring for his senior season, and was immediately inserted at left tackle. He was a third-round draft pick for the Eagles and is currently listed as the backup right guard on their roster.

Jobe was a three-year contributor for Nick Saban in the secondary. He had 129 tackles, 19 passes defended, three picks, two sacks, and two forced fumbles. During his rookie season in 2022, he contributed on special teams, playing in 11 games for the Eagles, and he's had a strong preseason at cornerback. With the departure of Darius Slay and James Bradberry on the horizon, Jobe has played himself into position to do more.

Ricks is another member of the club who did not start his career at Alabama. Ricks was a Freshman All-American cornerback at LSU before being out most of his sophomore season with an injury. He ended up playing just nine games at Alabama after transferring, with 13 tackles, four passes defended, and one tackle for loss. Ricks went undrafted before signing with the Eagles, but has been solid this preseason.

The Eagles are one of the premier teams in the NFC this season. It's a weak division and Hurts is now a top quarterback in the NFC. Philadelphia should be able to build on its stellar season last year and are favored to return to the Super Bowl in 2023. There's no reason to believe that this group can't get there again.